Alright. So this is the most common conversation-opener people use with me online, particularly on writer's websites where it is common to have your nationality included in your profile. Being Canadian, that it's considered geographically pretty seems to be the only thing the average person outside Canada even knows about it, but I don't really mind that. Thing is: I have no clue how to respond to it!

Generally if it's coming from an American I say, "And yours makes damn good whiskey." Considering the politics of the day and my love of whiskey, it's really the only honest compliment I can give. My general philosophy overall is to counter a compliment with a compliment- is this what I should be doing?

That line, of course, is out of the question when talking to former alcoholics- the last American ex-drinker who told me I live in a beautiful country, I resorted to saying "Thank you" instead, which makes me cringe because it sounds like I'm taking credit for putting all those lovely mountains and trees and lakes and such where they are. Lol.

Because these are fellow writers, when it comes from a British person I will usually say something about a British writer they're likely to like (I infer their tastes based on age and their own writing). i.e. "Yeah, but you've got [insert author here]". I can't do that with Americans because I can't stand most great American literature, not even Hemingway- I'd be quickly called out on my bullcrap if I said otherwise.

And that's only the US and England... I got the exact same compliment from a Swedish woman a while back and had to fall back on the dreaded "Thank you" again. It killed the conversation, which sucks, because that one was on a dating website!

Well, you could always try slipping in some stealth insults, but you might not get the response you're hoping for.

I can't say I've ever had anybody say to me, "You live in a beautiful [whatever]," even though I do live in a beautiful region (in a beautiful state and in a beautiful country), so I'm thinking your friends are a little strange. Still, in the interest of being polite, why don't you just say, "Yes, I really enjoy living here," then follow it up with a question about the person's own residence or personal experience.

Generally if it's coming from an American I say, "And yours makes damn good whiskey."

Mmmmm, whiskey...... Were we talking about something?

When I get that compliment, I tend to say "I'm very fortunate" and change the subject.
If I were on a dating site, I'd say "I can't wait to show it to you!", or "Yes, and the best part is the skiing/surfing/local music scene/cute woodland creatures/really big trees/whatever".

My general philosophy overall is to counter a compliment with a compliment- is this what I should be doing?

That line, of course, is out of the question when talking to former alcoholics- the last American ex-drinker who told me I live in a beautiful country, I resorted to saying "Thank you" instead, which makes me cringe because it sounds like I'm taking credit for putting all those lovely mountains and trees and lakes and such where they are. Lol.

The appropriate response to a compliment is "Thank you." You are not taking credit for the beauty of the country, you are thanking the person for complimenting it. This applies to all compliments -- they do not need to be deflected, or replied to with another compliment, as if it's some kind of contest.

If you want to keep the conversation going, you can add whatever personal reflection you like, "Thank you, I enjoy visiting [a particularly beautiful spot in your country]," or "Thank you, we've had [nice] [terrible] weather lately. You could also try, "Thank you, have you visited?" or "Thank you, is there any particular place you would like to visit?"

I'm a little confused, though. If you feel the need to compliment the U.S., why not go with, "Your country is also very beautiful"? Whatever you think of the U.S., it has some stunning natural beauty.

Being Canadian, that it's considered geographically pretty seems to be the only thing the average person outside Canada even knows about it

Nobody else is going to say it, so I will: When the majority of Americans picture Canada, what they actually picture is a hockey-obsessed nation that is mostly (though granted not exclusively) a bitterly cold wasteland and has punished the world with the likes of Nickelback, Jim Carrey, and (of course) Justin Bieber.
In other words, there is an excellent chance that most of the people saying you have a lovely country are just saying it to be nice. It's okay for you to respond with "Why thank you. You have a lovely country too" even if the person you are talking to is (somehow) in North Korea.
I would say that "Lovely country" comments fall in the same realm of social niceties as answering "How are you?" with "I'm fine" (because it is understood that nobody actually wants to hear the truth about how you're doing when they say that) or gushing over some new parent's ugly baby instead of pointing out to them the truth of their child's hideousness.

(I hope it is clear that I am kidding around with the Canada bashing and don't actually have any sort of grudge against Canada. I have actually been there a few times since I spent most of my life living near the border.)

I would just say, "Thank you, I love living here." Or, just "thank you." I may reciprocate a compliment if I really want to do that, but it's not necessary and if it was a forum where others could see multiple replies over time, I would think someone who always deflected compliments was a little weird.

Nobody else is going to say it, so I will: When the majority of Americans picture Canada, what they actually picture is a hockey-obsessed nation that is mostly (though granted not exclusively) a bitterly cold wasteland and has punished the world with the likes of Nickelback, Jim Carrey, and (of course) Justin Bieber.

So woeful that people have such bad examples in mind when they think of Canada. But it's encouraging to know that there are people working to give an accurate representation of Canadians: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsgVspgy184

As GirlyColor says, it's a conversation starter/compliment, not much different than "I like your shoes". I'd respond with this:

So woeful that people have such bad examples in mind when they think of Canada. But it's encouraging to know that there are people working to give an accurate representation of Canadians: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsgVspgy184

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Nobody else is going to say it, so I will: When the majority of Americans picture Canada, what they actually picture is a hockey-obsessed nation that is mostly (though granted not exclusively) a bitterly cold wasteland and has punished the world with the likes of Nickelback, Jim Carrey, and (of course) Justin Bieber.

I had no idea those were Canadian. See, in Spain we tend to assume that anybody who is white and who as far as we know speaks only English is American, we assume that movies "in English in the original" are, too. We pile up people from a bunch of countries into "Dominican" or from a different bunch into "Ecuadorian" unless we happen to have better data; Australians, Canadians and Brits are always at risk of being mis-filed under "American".

I'm happy to get people who exclaim "flah! men! cou! olé!" and refrain from following up with a request to teach them how to dance sevillanas or who don't jump directly into independentist politics My response to most references is "yes, that place"; if that isn't appropriate and I've visited their own country I answer with something I liked about it.

I had no idea those were Canadian. See, in Spain we tend to assume that anybody who is white and who as far as we know speaks only English is American, we assume that movies "in English in the original" are, too. We pile up people from a bunch of countries into "Dominican" or from a different bunch into "Ecuadorian" unless we happen to have better data; Australians, Canadians and Brits are always at risk of being mis-filed under "American".

Americans tend to have a sharp eye out for foreigners but Canada is a special case. It is really difficult for us to tell the difference in many cases too. Australians and Brits are easy to spot but many Canadians are not. That is why I say Canadians are the biggest threat to U.S. national security out of group. Canadian spies could be all around and we would never know until they start getting all of the hockey questions right in a trivia contest.

I'd say something mildly humble like, "Thank you - parts of it are, yes." Then return the compliment in kind if you've been to their country, or say that you've heard there are pretty parts if you haven't. (Just about every country has some pretty parts.) Or say something else nice. You indicate you're a writer - it shouldn't be that difficult!

I'm a little confused, though. If you feel the need to compliment the U.S., why not go with, "Your country is also very beautiful"? Whatever you think of the U.S., it has some stunning natural beauty.

Also, this. If saying we have nice whiskey is the only "honest compliment" you can come up with about the US, it indicates either an incredibly closed mind, or an amazing ignorance for someone who lives so nearby.

I live in a very beautiful paert of my state so when people hear that I live here they always say "That's a very beautiful area". I've never taken it as a compliment, it's a comment on where I live. I say "Yes, it really is". Saying "Thank you" would seem weird to me.

If someone said your friend was pretty would you say "thank you" or would you say "yes she is"?

It doesn't particularly make sense, but it's one of those things that most people say anyway. It's like when someone says my boyfriend is cute or something, I say thanks. But it's not like I made him myself in a lab or something.

Nobody else is going to say it, so I will: When the majority of Americans picture Canada, what they actually picture is a hockey-obsessed nation that is mostly (though granted not exclusively) a bitterly cold wasteland . . .

I've never visited, but I am a life-long reader of National Geographic. Does that count for *anything* in terms of an education?

(Favorite anecdote: a group of Yanks are on a tour through Belgium. The train comes round a corner, and there is a meadow with cattle grazing. One Yank, in a California accent, cries out, "Oh my God! Cows!")

Americans tend to have a sharp eye out for foreigners but Canada is a special case. It is really difficult for us to tell the difference in many cases too. Australians and Brits are easy to spot but many Canadians are not...

They're easy to spot around here... they're the ones with a maple leaf sewn on their backpacks. Well, they're either Canadian or Americans-in-disguise.

I get "state" from people from away more than "country" but I just tell them thank you. And to watch out for the moose, who gun for motorists in a sort of sad pyrrhic victory*. Next time they tell me how pretty the trees are in autumn I'm going to point several out and claim I planted them as is our state duty.

As someone said, I expect people are just looking for something polite to say, and probably don't have anything interesting to say ABOUT natural beauty. I'd say "thanks" and look for a polite way to continue the conversation. Throw out another conversation starter. Or ask if they've ever been there: at least that'll start a conversation about travel, whcih may lead to something more interesting.

Odd thing to say on a dating site. Seems she would ask a personal question about you whether than kissing ass about your country. Maybe she got her last boyfriend by bragging about his homeland, who knows.

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